"Nuclear Bomb" -- Igliozzi Blasts Anthony's Providence Student Housing Proposal
GoLocalProv News Team
"Nuclear Bomb" -- Igliozzi Blasts Anthony's Providence Student Housing Proposal
The city council held a hearing on Anthony's bid to expand the current ordinance -- which prohibits more than three college students from living together in single-family homes -- to all non-owner occupied units.
Anthony represents portions of the East Side that has a significant off-campus student population.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST“Our city faces a housing crisis. There is no one cause for that crisis, and there will not be one solution. But one clear factor is the number of college campuses that are bleeding into our neighborhoods, creating pressure on current housing stock. We need to do what we can to preserve housing for our residents and to maintain our neighborhoods. Despite the city’s efforts to hold developers accountable through fines, inspections, and other restrictions, we continue to see noise and public safety matters connected to overcrowded student rental properties throughout our city," said Anthony.
Anthony continued:
"The ordinance amendment was proposed to spark conversation about a new path forward. We cannot continue to allow property owners to disrupt neighborhoods and the housing market. These issues are not being addressed, and the impact on too many families is not getting the visibility it deserves.
I am committed to an open government, and I appreciate the many people who are stepping forward to share their views. I have asked for the public hearing process on this ordinance to remain open so that we might hear more from residents, owners, and students, examine more data, and explore all options to ensure we are doing all we can to preserve our housing stock and the strength of our neighborhoods for the families of Providence.”
Council President John Igliozzi applauded the move for more consideration -- and decried what he called the overreaching intent of the ordinance.
"I believe it is an appropriate decision for the sponsor of this ordinance, Councilwoman Helen Anthony (Ward 2), to keep an open dialogue and better understand the potential detrimental impact on the city’s rental market. In its present form, the proposed ordinance targets financially strapped college students across the city and tries to solve a minor problem with an overreaching response. It’s like settling a verbal argument with a nuclear bomb," he said.
"Some nuisance homes near college campuses are a problem, but the ordinance would be applied across the city to thousands of homes and apartments with no issues. Providence has current enforcement laws and capabilities; let us utilize existing mechanisms and strengthen them where we can. If there is a shortage of police and staff in our inspections departments, we should address that need immediately," he continued.